Leaving Behind

When I stepped aboard Emirates flight EK238 headed for Dubai, I left behind everything familiar to me in America. Most notably, I left behind my limited cultural breadth, which I grew up with in the states. In my daily life both in San Francisco and at Andover, I make assumptions due to my comfort with American culture. However, that comfort doesn’t exist when I am in foreign environments. Throughout these next three weeks, I will be challenging myself to enter an unfamiliar culture without bringing preconceived notions about what my experience should be.

I am leaving my family behind while abroad for three weeks, which I have never done before. Without many means of communication with my family or social media, I will have a lot of time to interact with others and having time to reflect on my daily experiences. While I don’t know exactly what it will be like without being interconnected to everyone 24/7, I know it will be an opportunity for me to grow.